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And all to help so courtyard, where the latest bunch of walkers stood, their spice-bomb throwers half finished A djinn towered above the rest, its powerful ar tested As fellow Muslims, the Arabs had a dispensation from the sultan to arm their walkers with steam cannon The cannon didn’t shoot projectiles, but in a pinch the djinn could disappear into a white-hot cloud

The courtyard’s outer door edged open a squick Deryn slipped through to find Alek waiting out on the street

Lilit was there too, dressed up in fancy European clothing

"What’s she doing here?"

Alek raised an eyebrow "Didn’t I tell you? We need sonize Lilit rented a suite yesterday"

"And exactly how does that help us?"

"My roohest floor, like Alek’s was," Lilit said "Two doors away And they both have balconies"

Deryn frowned She had to adht be a wee bit easier than picking the lock But why hadn’t anyone told her the plan?

"I can sneak about just as well as you two can," the girl said "Ask Alek how easily I trailed him"

"Aye, he’s told me that story more than once," Deryn said "It’s just that "

She tried to think of what to say Lilit wasn’t a bad sort, really She was a dab hand withas any of the ed the sa, and that was a splendid sort of anarchy, one had to ad up whenever Alek and Deryn were alone together, which was barking tireso? What other secrets was he keeping about her?

"Is it because I’irl?" Lilit asked stiffly

"Of course not" Deryn shook her head "I’ a little cross and waiting to hear more But Deryn only turned and headed toward the fancy part of town

The Hotel Hagia Sophia stood, dark and silent, a single gaslight burning above the doorway Deryn and Alek watched from the shadows as Lilitas she passed

"It see in," Deryn whispered "Do you really think they’d recognize us?"

"Don’t forget," Alek said "If they’ve found ents in the lobby, day and night"

Deryn nodded That was true enough - any trace of Austria’sprince would stir upus back here" Alek led Deryn around to a small lane, where rubbish was heaped outside the hotel kitchen door He and Lilit had done a lot of planning together, it seeht from her head She was a soldier on a e dance

She crept closer and peeked through aIt was dark inside the kitchen, theeerie shadows But after a few h the darkness, and the door creaked opened

"There’s so in the lobby, so keep quiet"

As they slipped inside, the scents of cooking filled Deryn’s nose, as delicious as she remembered from her two days here Bowls of dates and apricots and waxy yellow potatoes crowded a long and knotted wooden table, a row of aubergines shining purple in the darkness, waiting for the gleaut them

But the s up spice bombs all day, and Deryn’s eyeballs were still sore

Lilit led the roouests were about to arrive, and Deryn got the shivery feeling she always did in fancy places

"There’s a back stair for the servants," Lilit whispered, heading for a small doorway in the far wall

The staircase was narrow and pitch-black, and complained at every step Clanker wood always sounded so ancient and unhappy, like Deryn’s aunties on a da down trees instead of fabricating your wood, she supposed

The three cli minutes later that Lilit led them out into a wide, familiar hallway

Deryn felt a squick of chill as she passed Alek’s room What if his letter had been found, and half a dozen Clanker agents aiting inside?

Lilit stopped two doors farther along, pulling out a key Ain a suite as fancy as Alek’s had been Deryn wondered again as so barking i one to the Committee’s walkers?

Lilit pointed "The balcony"

Deryn crossed the rooht Here on the top floor the balconies were alet from one to the next - the sort of jump an airman made every day

But she turned to Alek and whispered, "If you’d let ht a safety line"

He smiled "Lost your air sense already?"

"Hardly" Deryn put one foot up on the railing, hands out for balance

Alek turned to Lilit "Stay here Therefor us"

"Do you think I can’t fight?"

Deryn paused in her ju how Alek would answer Was he more worried about Lilit’s safety than his own? Or didn’t he want a

"It’s not that you can’t fight," he said "But if you’re captured, sohter That would lead the police straight back to the warehouse"

Deryn blinked - et captured?" Lilit asked

"Then you’ll have to overthrow the sultan and set us free"

Lilit fumed a bit, but nodded "Just be careful, both of you"

"Don’t worry about us," Deryn said, and ju, then waited to give Alek a hand He ju a bit when she grabbed it to steady him

"Who’s lost his air sense now?" she whispered